Leigh had been up early that morning, as always. The Montemayor estate, though grand and beautiful, still felt cold to her—a kind of emptiness hidden behind luxury. She'd taken it upon herself to stay busy, cleaning, tidying, and brewing coffee just to keep her mind from wandering into places it shouldn't.
The aroma of freshly brewed beans filled the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
Leigh paused. For a few seconds, she stared at the door as if expecting someone else to get it—until she remembered there was no one else. With hesitant steps, she wiped her damp hands on her apron and went to answer.
Standing there was a man she had never seen before—tall, sharply dressed, and wearing a smile that lit up his whole face.
"Hi," he greeted casually. "I'm Gabriel Montemayor. Ervin's cousin."
Leigh blinked, unsure whether to let him in immediately.
"He's upstairs," she said after a pause. "Preparing for work."
Gabriel smiled wider, stepping inside like someone used to being there. "Great. I just thought I'd stop by for a quick coffee before heading to a meeting."
Leigh nodded without a word and turned around, leading him toward the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with a steaming cup and handed it to him. Gabriel accepted it gratefully, settling into a chair by the breakfast counter.
"Thanks," he said, taking a sip. "Do you work here?"
Leigh shook her head slowly. "No."
"But you live here?"
She didn't answer right away. "Something like that."
Gabriel chuckled, intrigued. "You're not exactly generous with answers, are you?"
Leigh looked away, avoiding eye contact. "I don't talk much."
"Noted," he said, still smiling. "What's your name?"
"Leigh."
"Nice to meet you, Leigh." His eyes studied her carefully, as if trying to fit pieces of a puzzle together.
Before Leigh could excuse herself, footsteps descended the staircase. The quiet moment was broken by the sound of Ervin's voice—warm, cheerful, and completely unfamiliar to her.
"Gabriel!"
Leigh turned her head, her breath catching in her throat.
There he was. Ervin Dale Montemayor, dressed sharply in a deep navy suit, walking down with a genuine smile on his face.
She froze.
He looked... different. The cold, guarded man she lived with had vanished in that moment. Replaced by someone she didn't know existed—someone who could smile freely.
He looked human.
Something inside Leigh shifted, a strange weight pressing on her chest. She didn't know why it bothered her, but it did.
Ervin walked toward Gabriel and pulled him into a quick hug.
"You didn't even text you were coming," he said, laughing slightly.
Gabriel shrugged. "It was a spontaneous coffee stop."
Then Ervin turned his eyes to Leigh. The smile faded slightly, but not completely.
"You made coffee?" he asked.
She nodded.
There was a pause—then something unexpected.
"Could I have one too, please?"
Leigh blinked.
That word. Please.
It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't loud. But it was gentle, and it was the first time she had heard Ervin say it to her.
Her hands moved on instinct, but her mind lagged behind. She was stunned—so much that she didn't speak as she poured a second cup. When she handed it to him, she could still hear the echo of his voice. The kindness in it. The softness.
It confused her. It bothered her.
She gave him the coffee with a quiet, "Here," and walked away, needing space.
The conversation between the cousins resumed, casual and full of ease.
"She's quiet," Gabriel remarked after a while, sipping his drink.
Ervin nodded. "She is."
Gabriel leaned back in his seat, tilting his head. "So... who is she?"
Ervin looked straight at him and said without hesitation, "She's my wife."
Gabriel nearly choked on his coffee. "Wait, what?"
"We've been married a few weeks."
Gabriel stared at him. "You got married? You? And you didn't tell anyone?"
"It wasn't... planned," Ervin replied calmly. "It was arranged. Legal."
Gabriel frowned. "So no ceremony? No announcement?"
"No need."
Gabriel shook his head slowly. "She didn't say a word. Not a hint. I thought she was—"
"A housekeeper?" Ervin cut in. "A lot of people think that."
"And she doesn't correct them?"
"She doesn't like talking about it," Ervin said with a shrug. "She's not like others."
Gabriel stared off toward the hallway where Leigh had disappeared. "You two... you don't exactly seem like newlyweds."
Ervin didn't answer.
Gabriel turned to face him again. "Is everything okay between you two?"
Ervin's eyes lowered to his coffee. "We're strangers learning how to live under the same roof."
Gabriel didn't say anything, but he didn't need to.
Because in that silence, he noticed something—something cold and distant lingering between the lines of Ervin's answers.
And though he had more questions, Gabriel didn't ask them.
He had seen enough.
Something was wrong.
And whatever was happening between Ervin and Leigh... it wasn't just a quiet marriage.
It was a story no one was telling.